


Hollow Days

by AlexTheShipper



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Bad Days, Cuddling & Snuggling, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Understanding Derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-19 07:24:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4737725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexTheShipper/pseuds/AlexTheShipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles is having a bad day, and nobody would have noticed, except he never showed up to the pack meeting. An hour later three werewolves break into his room to find their normally talkative friend shockingly quiet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hollow Days

It's only ever happened twice before the pack. Before werewolves, and monsters. The first time it was normal, expected behavior. He was mourning his mother. The second time there was nobody around to notice, but the third time Stiles goes silent, he misses a pack meeting. He doesn't really expect anyone to care, but when he's like this it's hard to understand caring.

Everything seems far away, and empty. He seems empty. Why would anyone care about an empty person?

"Where were you?" Derek grumbles, pushing the window open, and climbing through with practiced ease. "The pack meeting ended over an hour ago." Stiles finds himself curling around his pillow, wary eyes watching as Scott and Isaac follow Derek into his bedroom. He wishes they weren't werewolves, wishes they hadn't been able to tell he was home. Wishes they hadn't been able to climb into his bedroom window.

"Yeah dude. I called you three times. I was worried." Scott whines. Stiles glances toward his phone, humming softly in acknowledgement. Derek growls at him eyes flashing threateningly, but Isaac grabs his wrist before the wolf can advance.

"It's not his fault Derek." Isaac says. Scott stares at him, and Stiles tries to offer him a slight smil.

"It's not his fault he couldn't answer the phone?" Derek growls. Stiles flinches away from him, his attempt at a smile forgotten.

"No, it's not." Isaac retorts, offering him a short glare and ignoring the scowl it earns him. "Stiles, do you want us to leave?" Isaac's voice is smooth, Stiles doesn't want it to go.

"I'm not leaving." Scott grumbles, crossing his arms petuantly. Derek huffs in agreement, crossing his arms and leaning against Stiles desk.

"You are if he asks you to." Isaac says, not even sparing them a glance. Derek rolls his eyes.

"He's not my alpha." Derek retorts. Stiles curls in on himself. "I'm not leaving until he talks to me, and explains why he skipped out on the meeting." The boy opens his mouth to speak, and them shuts it, burying his face in his pillow. Derek growls more out of worry than actual concern.

"Stiles?" Scott asks, suddenly concerned. Isaac rolls his eyes, and turns his attention back to Stiles. "Stiles I'm gonna sit here. Is that okay?" Isaac asks, gesturing to the bed. Stiles nods into his pillow, and the bed dips down beside him.

"Why isn't he talking?" Derek glares at the back of his head, and Stiles whines low in his throat.

"Hollow." Stiles mumbles, before Isaac can answer for him.

"What does that mean?" Scott whines.

"It means hollow." Isaac grumbles, standing protectively between the human and Scott. Derek growls at them both, shifting as if to protect Stiles.

"Both of you get out." Derek growls. Isaac eyes him warily.

"Dude. Why?' Scott whines.

"Be nice." Isaac says, glaring at Derek before towing Scott toward the window. Derek just glares after them.

"Stiles." Derek growls. Stiles doesn't move, but his heartbeat speeds up. "I'm gonna stay with you today. Make sure you're okay. Is that alright?" Stiles hums, not really agreeing or disagreeing. "Good, now I'm gonna go get you a bottle of water."

"Stay." Stiles whines. Derek hesitates in the doorway.

"Okay." He sighs, allowing his instincts to take over, and settling onto the bed, and Stiles grabs his arm.

"Hold." He pleads, pulling the arm around his waist. Derek allows himself to be manhandled into a comfortable postition.

"I've got you Stiles." Derek whispers. "I've got you." Stiles leans back against his chest and lets his eyes shut, a tiny smile on his lips.

"Night." Derek murmurs against his ear.

...

Stiles jerks awake, and finds himself pinned to a very warm person, by a very sturdy arm.

"Wha?" He groans, pushing ineffectively at the arm holding him in place.

"Stiles?" Derek grumbles, letting him go. The teen flails and rolls onto his back.

"Yeah. What? I'm fine. What are you doing here?" Stiles babbles, Derek tries not to smile.

"You missed the pack meeting. I was worried." Derek growls. Choosing not to mention the others.

"Sourwolf cares about me." Stiles says, oddly sarcastic.

"Yes." Derek mumbles, voice gruff, and serious. Stiles rolls over to face him and finds their noses almost touching.

"Why were we cuddling?" He asks, forcing a subject change. "Did I octopus you?"

"You asked me to hold you." Derek shrugs, as if it's not a big deal. Stiles can't help being shocked, and he blushes.

"I'm so sorry." Stiles sighs. Derek frowns at him.

"Why?" Derek asks, moving even closer in the small bed.

"You had to come here and pity cuddle me, because I was to pathetic go get out of bed and go to the meeting." Stiles says. Burying his face in his pillow.

"It wasn't pity cuddling." Derek offers, but he sounds unsure. Although Stiles can't tell if it's just about the term pity cuddling, or the idea that Derek would pity cuddle anyone.

"Yeah, whatever." Stiles grumbles. Derek scowls at him, but chooses not to pick at it.

"Wanna tell me what set this off?" Derek asks, surprisingly gentle. Stiles shakes his head violently. "Stiles." Derek's voice is reproachful, and he sighs.

"Just, a bad day. I'm fine." Stiles whines. Derek raises an eyebrow at him. "Missed some sleep, had some nightmares. The usual. Don't worry about it." Stiles waves his arm around to emphasize his point.

"The usual?" Derek's voice is tight, and Stiles looks up at him. "This is normal for you?"

"Well not this per say," Stiles waves his arm as if to encompass the whole room. "But the nightmares? Yeah. I set your uncle on fire, you think I sleep peacefully?" Stiles snorts, and pulls himself out of bed. Derek drags him back under the blankets.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Derek demands, manhandling Stiles into the little spoon position. Stiles just rolls his eyes, and gets comfortable, allowing Derek to manhandled him.

"What are you gonna do, cuddle the pathetic human so he sleeps better?" Stiles rolls his eyes. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine, and you're not pathetic. We're a pack Stiles." Derek whines, visibly distressed.

"You really do care." Stiles mumbles, an awed tone in his voice that makes Derek think he's been too rough with the human. "I always thought, you'd laugh at me. Shove me into a wall. Tell me no one cares about my problems." Derek flinches.

"I've been a bad alpha to you." Derek whines. Stiles shrugs, as if it's not important.

"It's not like I'm pack, more pack adjacent." Stiles offers, as if that makes it okay.

"No, Stiles. You are pack." Derek growls. "I've been awful to you." Stiles pokes at his shoulder.

"No." He growls. "You have not been awful. You've been trying to keep your pack together. Nobody can fault you for that Derek." Derek raises an eyebrow, as if to say he can fault himself for it.

"I hurt you." Derek says. Like it's the worst thing he could ever do. "I was so scared, I hurt you."

"Scared?" Stiles can't help being curious, snuggling back into Derek's space. His previous line of questioning forgotten in his new found curiosity.

"My last two matches didn't work out so well." Derek mumbles into his hair.

"Matches?" Stiles presses, curious eyes tilting up to meet Derek's.

"Mate matches." Derek clarifies. Stiles jaw drops.

"Mates?" Stiles squeaks. "Me?"

"Yeah. It doesn't mean everything will work out. Paige was a mate match for me." Derek whispers, and Stiles is pressing a comforting hand to his cheek without thinking. "Kate faked a match." Stiles decides to ask about how that's possible later.

"Derek." Stiles whines when the werewolf turns away from him. "I'm not Kate." He offers, and Derek nods at him. "I didn't even know mate matches existed, I'm not faking one."

"Right." Derek nods.

"And I'm not Paige." Stiles says. Derek frowns, and shakes his head as if unsure. "Hey, I'm not."

"People I love get hurt." Derek states. Stiles shrugs.

"I got beat up by Gerard Argent." Stiles states, and Derek tenses. "I already got hurt. Now we're good."

"Pretty sure it doesn't work like that." Derek replies trying to be serious.

"Pretty sure it does." Stiles replies reflexively, and snuggles closer. "Now, does a mate match mean your wolf likes me, or that you like me?"

"Both, it means I like you." Derek mumbles. Stiles beams at him. "Wait we were talking about you." Derek glares at him.

"Nope." Stiles grins. "We were definitely talking about feelings."

"Yeah, yours." Derek grumbles.

"You know what, let's talk about breakfast instead." Stiles pushes Derek out of bed. "Get out so I can get clothes on."

"Okay, I'll make pancakes." Derek says, as Stiles shuts the door in his face.

"Yes!" Stiles cheer can be heard through the door. "With chocolate chips!" Stiles voice follows him down the stairs, and he laughs to himself, but pulls the chocolate chips out with the rest of the ingredients.

...

Derek is in the middle of eating his first pancake when Stiles starts talking.

"It's only happened twice before." Stiles mumbles. "Right after I lost my mom." Derek looks up at him.

"You don't have to explain it." Derek offers, despite wanting to know.

"I know, but I thought, maybe you'd understand." Stiles shrugs, stuffing a bite of pancake into his mouth to stop the awkward pause in conversation.

"Yeah." Derek offers after a minute. Stiles phone rings, and Stiles groans. 4 missed calls McCall Me Maybe

"I should probably answer this." Stiles mumbles, sliding his thumb across the screen.

"Stiles!" Scott calls into the phone, a little louder than strictly necessary.

"Yeah?" Stiles asks around another bite of pancake.

"What happened yesterday? Are you okay? Did Derek bother you?" Scott demands. Derek snorts, earning a small shove from Stiles.

"No he didn't bother me, and I'm fine Scott." Stiles waves off his concern. "Really."

"You were really out of it man. Did he take advantage of you?" Scott demands, and Derek muffles a laugh.

"Dude if anything I took advantage of him." Stiles says. Scott makes a grossed out noise.

"Ew too much information Stiles. Way too much information." Scott groans. Stiles can easily picture the kicked puppy look Scott would be giving him.

"We cuddled Scott." Stiles defends, Derek laughs into his arm. "Just cuddled. And you tell me about you and Allison's 'study dates' in way to much detail don't ew at me." Derek can practically hear the puppy dog eyes.

"I thought you didn't mind." Scott whines. Stiles snorts a laugh.

"It's fine Scott." Stiles smiles at Derek. "A hot guy made me pancakes for breakfast. I gotta go."

"Pancakes? Hot guy? He's still there? Sti-" Scott babbles, obviously freaked out. Derek bursts out laughing when Stiles hangs up.

"He's ridiculous right?" Stiles tries to keep a serious expression. "I mean. Of course you're still here. I'm great."

"Yeah, / _he's_ ridiculous." Derek snorts.

"I hate you." Stiles whines shoving at his arm.

"Is that how you speak to your hot boyfriend who makes pancakes?" Derek teases.

"Boyfriend huh? I like the sound of that." Stiles kisses his cheek, and Derek scrubs at the syrup left behind while Stiles clears the table.

"Yeah, me too." Derek whispers. "Me too." 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it.


End file.
